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Summer Sailstice Destinations - Hobie Island Club Bulgaria

January 26, 2015 by jarndt
Summer Sailstice Destinations - Hobie Island Club Bulgaria

Wondering what to do for the upcoming Summer Sailstice? In the next few months, we'll feature some fun stuff other people have done in the past that may give you ideas for this year. First up, one of the best-kept secrets in sailing – Bulgaria.

Emil Ivanov and his team at The Kayak Shop in Varna joined the 'Hobie way of life' in 2011, and their playground is the Black Sea. Last year, Summer Sailstice was celebrated with a trek from Varna, southwest to Pomorie and back on Hobie Mirage Tandem Kayaks - 31 miles in all. (The 18.5-ft Hobie tandem kayaks are powered by a clever arrangement of flapping underwater fins operated by legpower topside. With the addition of optional outrigger amas and a sail, they become lively little trimarans.)

Highlights of the Sailstice trip included meetings with dolphins “feeding and jumping around us”, and a close flyby of the Saint Vlas resport to see how the jet-setters were celebrating their Solstice.

For those of you rusty on your geography, Bulgaria sits between Romania to the north and Greece and Turkey to the south. Its East Coast borders the Black Sea – 235 miles of coastline, with more than 80 miles of it nothing but white sand beaches and crystal-clear aquamarine water. Weatherwise, summer temperatures (June through September) range from the high 70s to low 90s, with water temps in the low to mid-70s. The country enjoys a “humid subtropical climate.” There are no dry seasons, although June through August are generally the least-rainy months. Typical summer winds are westerlies in the 10-12 knot range.

Long before Hobie Islands hit the high seas, Odysseus was in this neighborhood braving the seven sirens.  

Historical Trivia: We're pretty sure a big reason more people don't vacation on the Black Sea is that, well, it's called the Black Sea. The moniker apparently goes back to 475 BC Persia, when it was called the 'inhospitable sea' because of the quick, dark storms that made boat travel perilous at certain times of the year. Apparently, the Persian word for "'inhospitable" sounds a lot like the Greek word for “dark” - and to most of the world, it's been the Black Sea ever since.

Ironically, the Greeks – great seafarers and navigators that they've always been – have always referred to it as the "hospitable” sea. Once you've been there, it's hard to think of it as anything else.

You can see more photos and videos of The Kayak Club's Hobie Mirages in action at www.kayakshop.bg. Unfortunately, most of the writing on the site is in Bulgarian. But if you're really looking at doing something really different for Summer Solstice 2015 – do a little homework. Be persistent. And let us know how it works out.

We're not sure what this says but we think it's about sailing, Hobie and Bulgaria.  All looks good to us. 

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